Take My Revolution
by Nocturnalux
Summary: Durarara/Utena crossover. Izaya is the Rose Bride, Shizuo is dragged into duel and becomes bethroned to him. Other Durarara characters as duelists. Psychological slant, very Utena-esque undertones and of course roses.
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing:** Shizuo/Izaya

**Prompt:** Izaya is the rose bride, Shizuo unknowingly beats whoever the champion is and Izaya becomes his.

* * *

><p>Heiwajima Shizuo did not want to get involved in any dueling. It was, in fact, the last thing on his mind as he walked down the tree framed pathway that led into the bizarrely large campus of his new school. The sole reason why he had accepted the dubious invitation to enroll – how many schools sent envelopes to prospective alumni along with rose crest roses – was precisely to avoid conflict in general. Thugs kept trying his strength and the situation was reaching a critical point when as if by magic the invitation arrived.<br>Shizuo accepted it without a second thought. A fresh start was just what a needed. A new and different scenery where he was not known and could be free of his reputation. Shizuo lifted up his eyes to the tall tower complex that he could catch glimpses of in the distance. He wondered just what it was. It was unlike any building he had ever seen but Orihara Academy was not your average school.  
>All this kept running through his mind and he could not pay much attention to class. But at least his fears were unfounded, his name did not cause anything but curiosity and by the end of the first day Shizuo was fairly certain that no one here knew about him. Just what he needed.<br>Shizuo finally managed to relax. People seemed friendly and while it was too early to see whether he was up to the academic level, several students had already been kind enough to share their notebooks with him. Shizuo was most definitely willing to make a serious effort.  
>He must have taken a wrong turn somewhere on his way to the dorms because he suddenly found himself in front of a greenhouse he was not familiar with. Shizuo was lost. Sundown tinged the empty surroundings in a blend of gold and red light. He was on the lookout for any passerby when he caught some movement from the corner of his eye.<br>"Get up. I _said_ get up."  
>Shizuo could not properly see the girl struggling back to her feet, she was averting her face from his gaze and arrayed in a red dress crisscrossed with ribbons, but he understood what was going on in a heartbeat. He had seen enough fight scenes as it was. Still, this was the first time he ever saw a guy kicking a helpless girl. The offender was about to repeat the stunt when Shizuo interrupted.<br>"Hey, you. Why don't you fight me instead? Or can you only beat up chicks?"  
>"This is none of your business so scram. And I told you already, didn't I? Get. <em>Up<em>."  
>The stranger produced a sword and smiled, a row of very sharp teeth reflecting the slanting reddish light like blood. There was only so much Shizuo could take. Without further ado or as much as second thought he landed a punch on the aggressor and sent him flying.<br>"What, can't get up now? Huh?"  
>Shizuo was surprised at seeing that the guy could still stand albeit with difficulty.<br>"You have no right to interfere, this is a Student Council matter."  
>"Kuronuma-sama, he is a duelist since he has a ring."<br>Shizuo blinked as the girl's voice reached him. It had a soft tone to it, almost as if touched by silence. But what impressed Shizuo the most were the eyes, beautifully vacant and crimson behind round lenses. For a split second he was sure that he had seen them before.  
>"Very well. I acknowledge you as a duelist and challenge you to a proper duel for the Rose Bride."<br>"The what? I have no clue what you're going on about but if I beat you up in this duel you'll let her go?"  
>"Don't play stupid."<br>Shizuo shrugged. None of this made sense to him but one thing he knew very well, he was not about to let anyone beat up women on his watch. She offered him a wooden sword that to Shizuo might as well be a bat. Once his mind was set he was too focused to care much for the spiral stairway up which he was led or the wide arena where he ended up.  
>"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kuronuma Aoba."<br>"And I don't give a shit."  
>Shizuo did find it beyond weird when this Aoba fellow somehow produced a sword from the girl but he was in the heat of a battle, such things could be cleared later. In one sweep Shizuo knocked out the sword and finished with a hard kick.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

"Aoba, Shiro-ba, Aka-ba, I don't care what color you are, you better stop hitting girls."  
>"Shizuo-sama, to win the duel you must destroy your opponent's rose.<br>"'-sama'? And you mean this?  
>Shizuo easily smashed it to bits.<br>"Just like that, Shizuo-sama."  
>"And what is this, a blue rose? Weird shit keeps happening…woah, what the heck is that?"<br>Only now did Shizuo notice the upside down castle suspended above the arena.  
>"This isn't over. I'll challenge you again! The Rose Bride is mine."<br>"Is it floating…? Oh well, none of my concern anyway."

And with this Shizuo thought that he was quite done. He still had things to do like unpacking his things and first of all he had to find the dorms. It was already dark when he finally reached it.  
>"I bet dinner is over by now. Just my luck."<br>"Welcome, Shizuo-sama."  
>He stood on the threshold blinking blankly a few times. The pretty boy that welcomed him with a smile did more than just ring a bell.<br>"You…do you have a twin sister or something? I could swear I just met her…"  
>"I have yet to introduce myself, I am Orihara Izaya, the Rose Bride and as of today we are engaged. Dinner is served, please follow me."<br>"Hold it right there, bride? You're a guy! What is this crazy talk about engagement?"  
>"Who can know? It is a mystery of the world."<br>In his confusion Shizuo ended up following him to a surprisingly large and very empty dining room. A feast for two awaited him but Shizuo hardly noticed it.  
>"Now listen here, Izaya…you're a guy, so how come you go around wearing a dress?"<br>"Same reason why I now belong to you. Because I am the Rose Bride."  
>"And what is that, exactly?"<br>"Who can tell? It is a-"  
>"Mystery of the world, right. Anyway, where is everyone else? It's just the two of us?"<br>"I prepared this myself, I hope it is to your liking."  
>Shizuo stared intently at this strange Izaya fellow. He could not shake off the impression that he was indeed looking at a girl. The fey quality of this Izaya lent itself to such misunderstandings even without dresses.<br>"Hey, this is real good!"  
>"Thank you very much."<br>"But wait, so you're telling me that I am engaged to a guy?"  
>"That is correct. I belong to you."<br>Shizuo fidgeted uncomfortably.  
>"Now look, I don't want to offend you or anything like that but I don't want to own you."<br>"That is alright. You may do with me as you please. Either way, if you wish to rid yourself of me you need only lose next time you are challenged."  
>"What, more crazy duels?"<br>"Other duelists will fight you to possess the Rose Bride."  
>Shizuo could not help blushing at this, the choice of wording was a bit suggestive. He sighed as he sliced a juicy steak.<br>"The one reason why I transferred to this school was precisely to get away from fighting and you're telling me that I have to do even more of that here? I thought fancy schools didn't have this kind of thing."  
>So much for Shizuo's idyll of a peaceful school life.<br>"If you lose then I will be handed out to the winning duelist."  
>"'Handed out'…? Shouldn't you be a bit more proactive about this? Being 'handed out' like a thing, that just ain't right."<br>"I am the Rose Bride-"  
>"Enough of this Bride talk. I'm not good at losing fights and there's no way I'd lose on purpose. So you can at least rest assured of that I won't be 'handing you out' or anything like that. You're free from that Aoba creepo, that much I can assure you."<br>"I wonder if anyone is at all free."  
>"Huh?"<br>"Do eat everything, Shizuo-sama."  
>"And drop this '-sama' thing."<br>"But I am engaged to you."  
>"Okay…even if you are, '-sama' is a bit…"<br>"Shizuo…-dono?"  
>"That's just as bad."<p>

Shizuo was more than a bit nervous having to sleep in the same room as Izaya. He kept forgetting that Izaya was indeed a boy only to be reminded anew which led to a perpetual state of anxiety. At least Izaya slept with normal pajamas.  
>"For a sec there I thought you'd wear a frilly nightgown."<br>"Would you rather I, Shizuo-sama?"  
>The question caught Shizuo completely by surprise. Izaya was so difficult to read that Shizuo could not help feeling that there many secrets behind the blank façade. Shizuo tossed himself into his bunk rather abruptly.<br>"Don't be silly, why would I want that."  
>"Goodnight."<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Izaya climbed to the upper bunk after granting him a sweet smile. Shizuo could see the elegant shape gracefully sliding as if to reach the ominous upside down castle. For a while he lied in silence in the dimness of the now dark room. But the silence was oppressive and sleep not forthcoming.  
>"But let us say that I did want you to wear a frilly nightgown…and asked you to do it, would you obey?"<br>"Of course."  
>"I don't believe you."<br>"Why not?"  
>"Because there's no one who'd do such a thing just because I asked…"<br>"What you ask of me is an order I cannot counter."  
>"So you're a puppet? I don't like that."<br>"I am the Rose Bride, Shizuo-sama."  
>Shizuo was silent for a while, turning things over in his mind.<br>"You're saying that if that Aoba dude won you in a duel and told you to do…you know…perverted stuff you'd just go along with it?"  
>"Yes. My will is not important."<br>Shizuo grew silent again. As much as he disliked this weird passivity he could not simply abandon the dueling matches. Shizuo could all too well imagine how Izaya would be treated if some other champion were to 'own' him. He could not help wondering just what Aoba had been doing to Izaya and it was with a chill that he thought that such abuse would still be going on if not Shizuo's winning the duel. This settled it for Shizuo.  
>"Guess I'll have to beat them up."<br>Shizuo could not see the slow, thin and borderline evil smile that Izaya only exhibited to the shadows. But shadows are after all reflections of us all.

"Say, Kadota…do you know anything about this Orihara Izaya?"  
>"Izaya? He's a weird one, isn't he? I can't figure out just what he is thinking."<br>Shizuo had found a good friend in the level headed Kadota. They had just finished P.E and it being the final period loitered by the water fountain. Izaya was excused from class, being apparently too frail for such things.  
>"Is he sick or something?"<br>"Hmm…sick, I suppose it depends on how you define sickness."  
>Shizuo splashed his face vigorously and shook his shaggy blonde mane.<br>"He seems to keep to himself a lot."  
>"I've heard he's bullied but I've never seen it myself."<br>Shizuo narrowed his eyes angrily. As far as he was concerned the entire weirdness with the Rose Bride system was a grand scale bullying of the worst kind.  
>"I hate that kind of thing."<br>Kadota blinked, caught aback by the note of conviction in Shizuo.  
>"I think it's better to just don't get too involved."<br>"It's because everyone thinks that this kind of stuff keeps happening."  
>"Oy! Shizuo! Dotachin!"<br>Erika nearly collided with him. She had just ran across the campus and had to take a while to catch her breath. Shizuo smiled and felt his mood lift. If Izaya was a person that bothered him to think about then Erika, for all her quirky ways, was the exact opposite.  
>"I worked on it all but it's done! Doujin with you, Shizuo! Take a look! Ah, I don't know if the style is just right but I think I caught your cool points for the most part."<br>Shizuo's smile faded as he noticed a rose crest ring on her finger. It almost blended with the glossy cover with roses galore. Clearly a recurring theme in this place. Shizuo decided to ask about it later. He flipped through the pages and frowned.  
>"Is this supposed to be me…?"<br>Erika spread her arms and twirled around as if in a vague dance of sorts, her eyes squinted in a dreamy way.  
>"Heiwajima Shizuo is the dashing prince with a pure heart and a valorous mission!"<br>Shizuo looked at Kadota as if asking for an explanation.  
>"Erika, you're annoying Shizuo with your crazy fantasies."<br>"No way! I believe in the power of my imagination. It may even change the world."  
>"This doesn't seem like me at all…I mean, it's well-drawn but I'm not cute like this and all this nobility is just not me."<br>"Fantasy is always better than reality. So it doesn't have to be real!world Shizuo, it is just my idea of Shizuo."  
>Shizuo scratched his head.<br>"I am sorry to interrupt but are you implying that what exists in your mind alone is more precious than the outside reality?"  
>No one had noticed Izaya approach yet here he was, toying with a nondescript smile on rose tinged lips. Erika jumped up and down.<br>"That is exactly what I mean!"  
>"Don't you need power, then?"<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

For a split second Erika froze, mouth agape. Shizuo sensed a shift but did not know what to attribute it to.  
>"Dotachin, why don't you get us some juice?"<br>"Okay…talk to you guys later."  
>It was Kadota's policy to stay away from unnecessary troubles. A good life philosophy and doubly so at Orihara Academy.<br>"Shizuo, I challenge you to a duel. Tomorrow in the dueling arena."  
>"Wait, what? You can't be serious…"<br>"Don't underestimate me. Be there."  
>Shizuo was left in complete confusion. Walking to the dorm with Izaya on tow Shizuo remained in utter darkness.<br>"I don't get me…one moment she was friendly, the next she wants to fight. What's the matter with her?"  
>"Everyone wants something, Shizuo-sama."<br>"Really? Well I just want to be left in peace and not have to be mixed up in weird things. What about you? What do you want?"  
>Shizuo was more than a bit curious.<br>"Me? I am the Rose Bride so I want nothing."  
>"That doesn't sound very good to me…"<br>"On the contraire. It is true happiness. If you want nothing then nothing can hurt you. Desiring things will always lead to pain."  
>"I guess…"<br>There was something highly disturbing about this line of thought but Shizuo could only shiver before it and hope it would simply go away.

Erika had not joined the student council with a particular purpose in mind. The letters she received from the highly vague End of the World had a hint of Romanesque to it and that was enough to her. Everything else, the mysterious arena, the equally odd castle hovering in mid-air and the Rose Bride, were part of a narrative and as such she embraced it fully. Which was not to say that she participated in it.  
>So far she had not dueled and that for the same reason that one does not actually address one's favorite anime character regardless of one's devotion. Erika was often accused of living with her head in the clouds but it was hardly so. Reality ran its course, dreams ran theirs, the two never intersected.<br>Which was why she saw the student council as a warped version of Comiket. The Rose Bride might be 3D but Erika could not shake the feeling that Izaya was a cosplayer. The crossdressing part added to the overall effect but everything else was in synch, from the highly ritualistic nature of the duels to the cool rings. It was the kind of thing she knew so well from anime even if it was weirder than usual. At times she could swear she saw rose frames spinning mid-duel and she anticipated each new one as if it was an episode of her favorite anime series. In other words, she watched (using some nifty binnacles with pictures of Haruhi, being official merchandise) but never even considered the possibility of participating herself any more than she thought of piloting a mecha.  
>Often she would muse whether she could get the Rose Bride to dress up in a frilly French Maid outfit if she were to win a match and if Izaya would actually address her and 'master' if she so ordered. But these were mere daydreams. She had all sorts of roles that she would find amusing to get the Rose Bride to fill, from being über moe to tsundere. But there was no real motivation to act.<br>Yet there were times when Erika found herself thinking that the world was very ugly as it actually was. She subscribed to the illusive motto of the student council – to shatter the world' shell – because there was indeed a lot of random ugliness that did not even advance the plot of life. Perhaps it was better said that reality was plot-less and as such deprived of those needed contrivances that redeemed – if you were destined to be a hero then you would be one, if you believed in yourself and fought to the bitter end you would be rewarded with the strength of comradeship, if you stood under a sakura tree when the wind was blowing just right you would meet your own true love.  
>When such things flitted through her mind her smile would falter and Erika would think, 'if only reality could be more like fiction'. But for that to happen she would need something impossible, she would need a kind of power to shatter reality itself and reshape it accordingly to how it should be.<br>Erika needed to conquer the Rose Bride.


	5. Chapter 5

Shizuo had something of a predicament. To the last moment he hoped that Erika was simply joking but no, here he was again in the hovering arena after so many steps and she was clearly ready for battle. Even the hat was gone, Shizuo had never seen her without it and it was rather disconcerting.  
>"Come on, I can't fight a girl…Izaya, say something will you?"<br>"'Just believe', Erika-san."  
>"Heh, making fun of me. You might regret that later."<br>At this point Shizuo became seriously freaked out. He had assumed that extracting swords from people was some sort of trick but now that Izaya reclined before him and Shizuo grabbed the hilt emerging from his chest there was no denying that it was all very real.  
>"Woah, what is going on here?"<br>Shizuo was so stunned that he reacted to Erika's sudden attack out of sheer instinct.  
>"I told you not to underestimate me."<br>Shizuo sparred around the arena without seeking out opportunities for attacking. He could tell that Erika was dead serious about this, more than once her blade swished in the air far too close to his ears.  
>"Erika, will you snap out of it already! There's no way I can fight a girl!"<br>"Great! That means I win by default. Just stay still and let me knock out your rose."  
>In the background the Rose Bride adjusted glasses that shone. Shizuo considered it. He could get out of this insane deal just by forfeiting this one match. But somehow it sat ill with him. Shizuo tightened his grip on the sword.<br>"I can't do that. I promised Izaya that I wouldn't hand him over to anyone. You seem nice enough, I don't think you'd hurt him but a promise is a promise."  
>Erika laughed.<br>"My, you'd make a great shounen hero. Let me win and you be just that!"  
>Erika was in a roll, so much so that she stretched her arms wide. This was the opening Shizuo needed. He dashed forward and simply nipped the rose off her chest without as much as touching her. Erika's eyes widened. She did not even hear the chorus of bells towing. It crossed Shizuo's mind that bells towed for people's death and a shiver ran through him.<br>"It's over now. I hope we can still get along. I'd really like to be friends with you."  
>"You really don't have a clue, do you?"<br>Izaya stepped unto the scene and in the sweetest of tones said,  
>"'Despair. Losing this match has left me in despair'. Neh, Erika-san?"<br>Erika gave Izaya a long hard stare.  
>"You…if you have a sense of humor then…<em>what<em> are you?"  
>"'You can (not) advance.'"<p>

Ryuugamine Mikado followed the duel very closely from a distance. It was not a favorable outcome. He had plans to challenge Aoba when this Heiwajima Shizuo had appeared out of nowhere and messed up his well arranged project to bring about the revolution of the world. No matter, Mikado needed only work around Shizuo.  
>The moment he held first letter from End of the World Mikado knew that he had been waiting for it his entire life. It was his own chance of having something great, something extraordinary, something beyond this world. And for that reason he was willing to accept the motto of the student council and even preside it: Mikado would shatter the shell of the world and overcome all limits.<br>But if he had taken up his sword for the irrational excitement that gave his life meaning, he followed a highly rational plan to see through that he won in the end. Mikado wanted the Rose Bride to enter the castle and thus prove to himself that he was meant to win. That he was not a face in an anonymous crowd.  
>Motivations, however, are twisted things. And his was connected to pain as much as it did with a desire to be acknowledged. In fact, the two were so co-dependant that he could not tell when one ended and the other began.<br>For the time being he needed to find out all he could about Heiwajima Shizuo. Mikado started by meeting Izaya in the greenhouse.  
>"Izaya-san, your roses are blooming as beautifully as ever."<br>"Would you care for a bouquet of yellow roses?"  
>Mikado's friendly smile faltered a bit.<br>"Yellow, you say?"  
>"Yellow roses represent 'friendship' so they can be given to anyone."<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

"Izaya! There you are, I was looking for you. And you are?"  
>"Ryuugamine Mikado. I meant to introduce myself sooner and properly welcome you to school."<br>Shizuo looked for the tell-tale rose crest ring.  
>"You're not with the student council people, are you?"<br>"No, not at all. I'm with the committee for student integration."  
>"I see. Well, that's good. You're friends with Izaya?"<br>As far as Shizuo could tell Izaya was lacking in that department.  
>"I get along just fine with Izaya."<br>"Yeah, he even gave you some flowers. That's great, then."  
>Shizuo was a simple person who did not see past first impressions. So he naturally assumed that he could trust Mikado. Shizuo's standard for valuing a person's sincerity was now lined with how friendly they could be with Izaya.<br>"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I'm Heiwajima Shizuo. Nice to meet you."  
>"Why don't we have a cup of tea?"<br>"Sure."

Shizuo ordered a strawberry parfait.  
>"Shizuo-san, you seem to like sweet things."<br>"Why, yeah. Cuz they're sweet, you know?"  
>Mikado smiled his most affable smile and wondered if this might not be too easy. Aoba was sneaky and a sly one, dealing with him would prove considerably complicated but this Shizuo was clearly plain and straight forward. And if there was one thing that Mikado had realized, it was that the duels had little to do with fencing skill in itself.<br>"I know what you mean."  
>"By the way, who is the president of this student council I keep hearing so much about?"<br>"That would be Yagiri Namie-san. Why do you ask?"  
>"I have a score to settle with those people. Izaya, what do would like? I just got my allowance so you order anything you want."<br>Mikado did blink. He could not conceive how anyone could possibly expect the Rose Bride to make any decisions whatsoever. That was the opposite of his role, Orihara Izaya existed to serve whoever he was engaged to. Mikado was curious as how Shizuo had missed it. Perhaps Shizuo had not received any letters.  
>"Thank you very much, Shizuo-sama."<br>Shizuo frowned at the menu.  
>"Hmm…on second thought, I can't really afford this banana sundae…but apart from that it's all good."<br>Wasting money, such a rare commodity, on the Rose Bride struck Mikado as nothing short of stupid. Especially if one was not rich and clearly Heiwajima Shizuo was not.  
>"It seems like you're getting used to life in campus."<br>"I wish. It's so big I keep getting lost and there are no maps either. Not to mention the buildings are weird. So many roses, roses everywhere."  
>Mikado decided that Shizuo was not completely out of the loop. After all he was keeping his silence on the duels.<br>"The architecture is peculiar, isn't it? It's so different from my town. There was nothing to do there and all buildings were tiny houses that all looked the same."  
>"So you come from a small town?"<br>"Very small. I doubt you can find it on the map."  
>"It must have been a huge change of pace, huh."<br>"I like it better here."  
>Mikado could see the tower just beyond Izaya's shoulder. It cut the sky in a clear vertical line. Mikado appreciated that. Too much sky was stifling. And on the arena the upside down castle blocked out the sky entirely, perhaps even replacing it.<p>

Yagiri Namie was the acting president of the student body for a sole reason: the position allowed her a greater berth to carry on her experiments in the laboratory. More, it also insured that the chemistry facilities received a larger portion of the school budget. Apart from that she had no interest in participating in any form of student activity and had no problems allowing Mikado to run whatever agenda he had in mind. Namie was fully aware that Mikado was the true president when it came to actual power but she did not particularly care even if she suspected that his motives were far from pure, otherwise he would not opt for secrecy.  
>As it was Namie had not even opened one of the letters she had received from the End of the World and had shredded them promptly. Such mystical shenanigans had no standing with her. She found it utterly absurd how the supernatural could even be considered as an actual existing entity.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

It was absurd and she would consider it an affront to the analytical spirit in which she based her life were it not for the fact that she had better things to do than wasting her time on refuting silliness.  
>Other student council members would at times tell her about hanging arenas, spiraling stairwells, Rose Brides with magical swords, and to top it all upside down castles that spun in the sky. She did not precisely know how the delusion was so disseminated but it was obviously a kind of visual trick or perhaps even a hallucination. So when she had to interrupt a rather important experiment because some idiot with a rose crest ring wanted to speak to her Namie was less than amused.<br>"I don't know anything about any of that."  
>Shizuo was stunned by her audacity.<br>"Like hell I'll buy that! Just tell your goons at the student council to leave Izaya alone. What has he even done to you? I've been living with the guy for a while now, he wouldn't harm a fly."  
>Shizuo did not even notice that he was assuming that the purpose of the duels entailed hurting Izaya by default. The fact that this was a sort of cognitive bias did not of course occur to him precisely because it was so.<br>"My 'goons'? You can tell them yourself. I don't command them."  
>"If not you then who?"<br>Namie shrugged and tossed her long hair over her shoulder.  
>"Some person or persons that go by the name of 'End of the World'. In other words, you are dealing with irrational people that cannot be reasoned with."<br>"So you don't take any part in these duels?"  
>Namie folded her arms. The ring sparkled oddly in her finger, it was a dissonant note in her highly practical attire.<br>"No. No, I don't. And before you tell me about any castles allow me to inform you that there is such a thing as magnetism and devices that could accomplish such a feat without any hocus pocus. Not to mention tricks of light."  
>Shizuo was silent for a while.<br>"I don't think you'd be saying that if you'd fought in that arena."  
>"Shizuo-kun, I am a busy person. I have many things to attend to and cannot waste my time on silly fantasies. Now if you'll excuse me I have some gene sequencing to do. Science, it works."<br>She did not add 'bitches' but it was patently obvious in the way she spun on her heels and trotted away.  
>"I guess this means one less duelist to worry about, huh Izaya?"<br>"It seems so, Shizuo-sama."  
>"Great."<p>

"Erika, what do you want-"  
>"Just come with me!"<br>Shizuo was reluctant to follow Erika anywhere after the duel incident but she seemed back to her chirpy self and gingerly dragging him up the arm up a steep flight of stair.  
>"When there's a duel, an opening appears here. If you go all the way to this balcony you can watch it."<br>"Not that again…"  
>"Don't worry, I didn't bring you here for that. I wanted to talk to Izaya and this place has a certain scenic beauty to it."<br>Shizuo was learning suspicion.  
>"Really?"<br>"Totally! You see, I have a story in mind and I need to draw Izaya. He's the main character."  
>"What kind of story?"<br>"Izaya is an informant in Ikebukuro and causes all sorts of mischief with his cleverly manipulative ways."  
>"What's that about?"<br>"Fiction, Shizuo! Fiction. Don't be mad, I have nothing against you. So can I draw Izaya?"  
>Erika batted her eyelashes and held her sketchbook with both hands as she peered into Shizuo's eyes for effect.<br>"Don't ask me, ask Izaya directly…he's standing right there."  
>Erika giggled.<br>"Heh, okay, let's try that. Izaya, can I draw you for my manga project?"  
>"If Shizuo-sama says so."<br>"See?"  
>Shizuo sighed.<br>"Izaya, just tell her what _you_ want."  
>"I do not care either way."<br>"Yes! That is as close to a 'yes' as the Rose Bride will ever get!"  
>Shizuo frowned. Something was amiss here.<br>"I wanna be present in these drawing sessions. I'm still not sure you won't go all crazy again and try to hurt him."  
>"Aw, you really are a nice guy aren't you? So protective. It's all good, it'll be even better with you there."<br>They took a seat at the bottom of the stairs.  
>"Izaya as an informant, huh…what gave you that idea?"<br>"I don't know. It just came to me, just like that."  
>She snapped her fingers.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

"What do you think about that, Izaya? Becoming the hero in a story? It sounds pretty neat, actually."  
>"It sounds wonderful, Shizuo-sama."<br>Izaya granted them a brief smile that did not quite touch his eyes.  
>"I am thinking wardrobe, what would he wear?"<br>"Hmm…I've never seen Izaya wearing anything other than the school uniform and that crazy red dress."  
>"How about…something like this? Cool, isn't it?"<br>Erika sketched rapidly, pencil flying across the page and almost sending sparks. She showed them a picture of Izaya in a sleek jacket with fur fringed cuffs and hood.  
>"Fur, huh…I think Izaya would look great in this."<br>Erika made a funny face and hid her smirking mouth behind the sketchbook.  
>"Oh? Could it be that Shizuo-kun is developing lovely dovey feelings for our Rose Bride?"<br>"Don't be silly. We're both guys."  
>Shizuo was annoyed at himself for blushing to the roots of his blonde hair.<br>"I don't think that matters much. And besides, you are engaged after all."  
>"Erika, you said you wouldn't go on about that again."<br>"Sorry, sorry. My bad. But dueling or not, you are living together. Right?"  
>"We're roommates. That's all."<br>"I see. I got to hurry back to the dorm and build up my story! I am full of ideas."  
>Shizuo waved goodbye. Erika was skipping away but then suddenly halted and turned around.<br>"I almost forgot, you're in the story as well."  
>"Me? Really?"<br>Shizuo could not help being curious.  
>"You, Heiwajima Shizuo. You're Izaya's archrival and throw vending machines at him all the time as well as chase him around with murderous intent."<br>"I'd never do that…."  
>"That's why it is fiction! But worry not, Izaya dodges them. Usually, at least."<br>"I'm not sure I'm cool with that kind of story…"  
>Erika's smile dropped. She noticed spidery rose branches entwined overhead in an arch.<br>"How about this, then? 'Heiwajima Shizuo is a brave prince. One day, he meets a beautiful and helpless princess that is preyed by evil doers. He vows not only to save her from her cage but to show her how life is on the outside.'"  
>Shizuo nodded.<br>"I like that a lot better."  
>"But Shizuo, I hope you realize…both versions are just as fictional. Bye bee."<br>"Erika, wait. What do you think is inside that castle?"  
>She was silent for a while. Wondering what rose frame fit the moment.<br>"Something powerful. Or maybe, it's power in itself. And I'll be adding colored pages! How about a nude? What do you say, Izaya! I'd make it tasteful!"  
>"He's not doing any of that."<br>"As Shizuo-sama says."  
>Erika giggled.<br>"Oh, you two."  
>Shizuo watched her skip away.<br>"What was that all about?"  
>"Who knows."<p>

"Mi-ka-do! I have it all planned, Saturday that is!"  
>Kida tackled him and they nearly went tumbling down the grassy slope.<br>"Masaomi! I told you to stop doing that."  
>"Nonsense, what are best friends for? So, as I was saying, it'll be perfect! Just you, me and Anri. There she is! Anri-chan!"<br>And with this Kida bolted and left Mikado standing on his own. Under the faultless and endless sky. So much of it. Enough to isolate him and to cover Kida and Anri chattering amicably. Only Kida's voice reached him in a glitter of laughter that merged the words into pretty sounds. Better this way. Mikado did not want to hear them. He gripped his favorite ballpoint pen inside a pocket. The weight was reassuring, a definite element in the world.  
>"A shame she had to go already. But she's free on Saturday! Isn't that great, Mikado? Mikado…? Hello?"<br>"Sorry, I was just a bit distracted."  
>"So many pretty girls around, I totally understand!"<br>For once, Mikado acted without a plan. He found himself holding the yellow rose.  
>"Is that for, Mikado, whatever shall I do! This is all so sudden, my heart isn't ready!"<br>Before panic could set in Kida was laughing merrily.  
>"It's yellow, yellow roses mean friendship. So they can be given to everyone."<br>"Let me have it, then! If I run I can still catch Anri. I can use it as an ice breaker. Wish me luck! Or don't, I guess."  
>And with this Kida snatched the flower and rushed out of sight. It occurred to Mikado that it should start raining right about now. Yet the sun insisted on shine as if his sorrow was irrelevant to the world, as if Ryuugamine Mikado was infinitely small in the grander scheme of things.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Seen from the sky he was precisely that. In the other pocket Mikado kept the rose crest ring. He slipped it on now.

Shizuo was lying on his belly, flipping through the pages of a copy of Shounen Jump that Erika had lent him.  
>"Say, Izaya…can you leave campus?"<br>"I can, as long as I am with the Engaged."  
>"Then let's go downtown this Saturday. I've yet to see much of town and we might as well look for some new clothes for you."<br>"New clothes…?"  
>"My money plus a contribution from Erika should be enough to buy you a fur fringe jacket like the one she drew."<br>Shizuo had decided that he quite liked the idea of seeing Izaya in said outfit.  
>"If you say so, Shizuo-sama."<p>

It occurred to Shizuo how like a date this was. Erika was supposed to join them but she left early with a malicious wink. Leaving Shizuo and Izaya to walk side by side down the busy shopping district. Shizuo hoped that taking Izaya away from the school's environment, even if temporarily, would be a good change of pace. For both of them, in fact. And being here was so normal that it made strange duels and everything else appear but a dream that fades away at dawn.  
>"Something like this, I guess?"<br>Shizuo studied a jacket that he removed from a hanger.  
>"It looks like the drawing."<br>"Try it on."  
>Shizuo did not want to admit it but he was very curious and even a bit nervous to see how Izaya would look in the new attire. Izaya turned around and put on the hood, a frame of soft fur highlighting the delicate lines of his face. Shizuo found himself removing Izaya's glasses to better see his red eyes. A strange eye color, almost entrancing.<br>"Sorry…"  
>"Should I wear this?"<br>"Yeah, I think so. I mean, do you like it?"  
>"I like it."<br>They wandered aimlessly at a leisurely pace. Shizuo spotted someone familiar in the crowd.  
>"Oh look, it's Mikado. I don't know the two others but it's great to see him having fun with friends."<br>Izaya smiled.  
>"Mikado-san seems to agree."<br>The trio was swept away from Shizuo's field of vision. He glanced at Izaya.  
>"The jacket…looks real good on you. Think you could wear it when you're with me?"<br>"Yes, Shizuo-sama."  
>Shizuo had no idea how to read the smile but it was very pretty.<br>"Say, are you part of any club?"  
>"I tend the roses."<br>"You're good at that. I'm thinking of joining the fencing club. I don't really like all that much but I have to improve, I suppose. Special sword or not I can't afford to lose to any of those crazies."  
>Shizuo did not stop to ask himself how much he was invested in this already. It was not Heiwajima Shizuo's character to do such things as deep reflection.<p>

"Why should I help you?"  
>Namie glanced over her test tubes and returned to mixing chemicals.<br>"It's not to help me but to help yourself. 'Orihara Izaya', 'Orihara Academy'. I did some research, Izaya's family runs this place."  
>"And?"<br>"And if you win the Rose Bride I am sure it will do much to improve your standing in this school. I mean that both in terms of budget allocation and influence."  
>Namie dropped a few blue colored drops into a deep red liquid that changed color immediately, turning a shade of purple.<br>"What's in it for you?"  
>She listened.<p>

Shizuo finished class and looked around the corridor but for some reason there was no Izaya to be found. He had become so used to having him around but he would be in the greenhouse. Shizuo was looking forward to a quiet afternoon. And then he opened his locker. A rose stamped note inside summoning him to the arena.  
>['Ah, my beautiful treasure is being stolen, stolen!']<br>['Call the cops?']  
>['It's being stolen by the cops!']<br>['Nothing you can do, then. But didn't you steal it from someone else?']  
>"How about just beating them up?"<p>

Shizuo raced up the spiral staircase. If he hurried he could get this over with in time for the show he had the habit of watching with Izaya. It did not even matter who his opponent was. Still, he was rather surprised.  
>"You…? Didn't you say you didn't want anything to do with these duels? Why are you here?"<br>Namie had already tied up her long hair in a bun so as not to let it get in the way. She pointed at the castle.  
>"I have my reasons. And I insist that this is most likely a three dimensional projection."<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with."  
>"My thoughts exactly."<br>Namie paid close attention as Shizuo extracted the sword from Izaya.  
>"That is quite a trick."<br>Shizuo's first attack was mindful of the fact that Namie was a girl. She step sided it easily. Shizuo found himself running ahead past her. He spun around with some effort and Namie smiled. Shizuo rushed ahead again and Namie twirled out of his range. He was still trying to figure out just how he kept missing his target when Namie dashed with surprising and impressive speed, materializing into his defenses and shredding Shizuo's white rose in one sweep.  
>Shizuo did not even feel anything. Not even a prick. If not for the flutter of petals he would not have believed it.<br>"I lost…? That can't be."  
>"What's the problem, Shizuo-kun? Can't lose to a girl? Want me to tell you how and why you lost?"<br>It was with an effort that Shizuo supported himself on his legs.  
>"How…?"<br>"There's more to these duels than brute strength. I calculated your exact position using your speed and power as gauged by your attacks. It was quite easy, actually. You can wave your magical sword all you want, physics and mathematics will always defeat superstition."  
>Shizuo swallowed but could not get past the knot on his throat. He did not even notice that the sword had disintegrated.<br>"Izaya, you're not going back with her, right? Tonight there's that show we both like…and you don't even know her."  
>"This is as far as we go, Shizuo-san."<br>"'-san'…? Izaya, wait! Don't you like being with me? Didn't we have fun, just living together, shopping for clothes, hanging out, wasn't that fun? That woman will lock you away in a lab and do weird experiments on you!"  
>"Now that you mention it that may be a good idea. I want to prove that this Izaya person is just a guy with a penchant for gender inappropriate outfits, that thing spinning above is a trick of sorts. More interesting is the hydraulic system that activates this entire arena via these rings. I would like to see the blueprints and investigate the engineering behind it."<br>"See? She doesn't like you, Izaya, _please_!"  
>But Izaya was already walking away with Namie.<br>"By the way, if you're going to start crying I should warn you that the other duelists are probably watching this entire affair. Everyone is a voyeur around here."

It had not truly sunken in until Shizuo arrived at the dorm and found Izaya's name crossed over. Every single item of Izaya's had already been cleared apart from the fur trimmed jacket that was neatly folded as if deliberately left behind. Shizuo stared up and down at the empty apartment and wondered when it had become so absurdly large. He closed eyes and stupidly wished that Izaya would be back. It did not work.  
>Shizuo ended up lying in bed throughout the sleepless night, the jacket next to him.<br>The following day he skipped class. There was simply no energy to get up, get dressed and drag himself to class. Shizuo kept looking around as if in a daze. For the first time in his life he felt weak and utterly powerless.  
>"Shizuo? Oy, Shizuo! Open up, will you? It's me, Erika. Come on now, staying cooped inside like that won't help any."<br>"Come in."  
>"Ah, who would have guessed it! I thought Namie didn't care for dueling. Cheer up, Shizuo! Losing sucks but all you got to do is bounce back."<br>Something that Erika had no troubles doing.  
>"Izaya just…left. Without even saying goodbye, he just left. I thought…dunno, that we were friends."<br>Shizuo had no such things as friends at his old school. Only thugs that gravitated around him in the hope of becoming strong by proxy and gaining some protection by belonging to Shizuo's posse.  
>"It's not personal. Izaya leaving, I mean. He does that every time someone loses a duel. I've seen it happening a few times already."<br>"But…that Namie, she'll lock him up in a lab and do horrible things to him. Doesn't he care?"  
>"Probably not. But don't worry, I doubt she would do such a thing. Namie is probably after Izaya because he's part of the Orihara family that runs this place. She won't harm him."<br>This did not cheer up Shizuo but it was some comfort. He wondered how he had become so attached and in so little time. But ultimately it did not matter.


	11. Chapter 11

Loneliness widened within him like cold emptiness, numbing as it burnt. Until now it had never been painful but merely annoying.  
>Shizuo was walking over to class the next day when he passed the greenhouse. He wanted to hurry past it when he noticed a sign on the door and some police tape barring the way.<br>"'Warning: this facility has been deemed redundant and will be demolished. Plan approved by the Student Council'. What…?"  
>"That's right. I'm expanding the laboratory."<br>Shizuo spun around to find Namie holding a clipboard and making notes.  
>"There's plenty of room, you can expand anywhere you want. Why are you tearing it down?"<br>"Because there's no need for a greenhouse. It's not as if the rose motif is lacking as it is. These facilities serve no purpose so I am terminating them."  
>"But Izaya likes tending the roses. He has fun doing it. You can't just take that away from him!"<br>Namie blinked.  
>"I can and I will. Besides, what do you mean he likes it? I told him about it and he just stood there saying 'Yes, Yagiri-sama'. Feel free to ask him yourself."<br>Izaya appeared from a nearby building. Shizuo walked over to him.  
>"Tell her that you like the roses, that you love this place. I know you do so just tell her."<br>"Good morning, Shizuo-san. It is alright. It is Yagiri-sama's decision."  
>"So what! She's not god or something, I don't care if she's the president of the Student Council or not. It's just not fair."<br>Shizuo was not just talking about the greenhouse.  
>"Orihara, do you mind it?"<br>"I'm the Rose Bride, I abide by the Engaged's will."  
>"There you have it. By the way I run some tests, simple blood tests so you can stop glaring at me that way, and Orihara here is a normal human being as far as genetic composition and physiology goes."<br>"What have you been doing to him?"  
>"Nothing at all intrusive. I'm not a sadist. As for roses, we have plenty of those at my place and he can play with them all he wants. Also, I'm getting him some therapy."<br>"Therapy?"  
>"He clearly can't be sane to be this apathetic. Mikage is a recognized psychologist. Now if you'll excuse me, I have classes to attend to."<br>"It was nice meeting you, Shizuo-san."  
>Shizuo paid precious little attention to school the entire day. As he tried to process it all it occurred to him that Izaya was perhaps better off this way. He adopted this stance as best he could and tried to simply go with it. Shizuo threw himself into sports with almost fanatical zeal. It earned himself a fanbase. Shizuo greatly disliked this.<br>It was going back home to an empty room that never failed to get to him. Shizuo made up his mind to throw away the jacket but had a change of heart. He was in this uncertain limbo of trying not to think about Izaya and failing altogether when Erika banged at his door.  
>"Shizuo, Shizuo, there's a duel going on! Quick, hurry!"<br>He wanted to turn down the offer completely but he could not bring himself to do it. Erika led him by the hand.  
>"Hurry! This will be good. I got you a pair of binnacles, we can both watch."<p>

Mikado stepped unto the arena, his confidence unshaken. Namie tied up her hair.  
>"I challenge you to a duel."<br>"I'd figured as much. Orihara."  
>Namie extracted the sword. Mikado had it all planned. He did a few feints and then an actual attack that Namie dodged. Mikado knitted his brows and tried again. Namie slid out of his reach. He darkened.<br>"What are you doing?"  
>"Dueling. You should know how it goes, Ryuugamine. Shouldn't you?"<br>Mikado gripped his sword tightly and aimed squarely at Namie's rose but Namie twirled away easily. At this point Mikado realized that something was wrong.  
>"This is not what we had agreed on!"<br>Namie smirked.  
>"Is that so? Guess what, Ryuugamine. I am not your puppet. I never was and never will be. If you want Orihara there so badly you will have to fight me."<br>Mikado's eyes hardened.  
>"Suit yourself. But I'll remember this."<br>"I know you will."  
>Mikado changed gears as if a switch had been activated. His sword swiveled rapidly in tangents and when he saw an opening Mikado took the opportunity. As the shredded white petals came fluttering from Namie's chest a feeling of elation swept him over.<br>"I win!"


	12. Chapter 12

Namie was in a semi-crouch, the sword already gone. She got up, undid her hair and smirked.  
>"Look again, Ryuugamine. Your rose's knocked out too."<br>Mikado was ready to call on her bluff. And then he saw that she was right.  
>"It can't be. You tricked me!"<br>"Yes, yes I did. Tell him how the rules go, Orihara. I bothered asking a few questions and Orihara here was willing to answer me."  
>Izaya stepped forward, regal red dress sweeping the floor.<br>"In case of a tie both duelists lose their right to the Rose Bride and a new duel is set with other duelists."  
>Mikado's gaze could kill.<br>"You set up this entire scenario, didn't you?"  
>"Of course. Someone has to teach you a lesson. If you can pull strings on people then someone can pull strings on you just as well. I'm sick and tired of having you hiding in the shadows and gloating over everyone's failures. You were right up to a certain point. As you said, I could win over Shizuo, he might not go all out against me because I am a girl. And then you arranged a fixed duel. That was your shortcut to get the Rose Bride. You would never drop your clever cover unless you were absolutely sure that you could win. That is why you never even assumed yourself as a duelist until now. Your mistake is very simple: you failed to realize that I don't dance to your tune. I can get rid of Orihara now, the connections I had to establish with the chairman are already locked in. Do you understand, Ryuugamine? Your plan worked to my advance and foiled your objectives completely."<br>Namie smirked widely. Mikado felt the ground below him sink.  
>"Izaya!"<br>Shizuo did not even pant even though he had just raced up the massive staircase.  
>"Just in time. As I was explaining, possession of the Rose Bride now falls unto whoever wins the next duel, the current duelists being dismissed. I presume that you want to duel for Orihara?"<br>Shizuo took a step forward. He experienced a moment of tunnel vision. The castle, Mikado's blank fury, Namie's explanations, all disappeared and all he saw was Orihara Izaya.  
>"I'm not fighting for any Rose Bride. I'm fighting for myself and for Izaya."<br>"For yourself?"  
>"For myself. Call it selfish if you will but I had fun being with Izaya. And I'm not the kind of man to just let what I like be taken from me. And Izaya, you don't speak up for yourself and just go along with whatever because of this weird system. I won't accept this engagement idiocy, I <em>will<em> set you free. If afterwards you want to crawl back into this puppet master game then fine, that's your call. But I will not accept it until it _is_ your call. That is my resolution."  
>Namie's smile warmed.<br>"Make that your revolution of the world, then. Here, I got you a spare sword."  
>"You knew I'd come here…?"<br>"I thought it highly likely. And as a scientist I work with probabilities first and foremost."  
>"Oh, what is this? A party? I'm so in!"<br>"Masaomi…?"  
>Mikado forced himself raise from his prostration. Kida gave him a thumbs up and showed him a black rose crest ring.<br>"Pretty neat, isn't it?"  
>Shizuo took a stance and held his sword firmly.<br>"I don't want to hurt you or anything but if you're here to get Izaya I will fight you."  
>Kida chuckled and tested a sword with a wide sweep.<br>"Sure thing. Bring it on."  
>Mikado gesticulated at this point and appealed to Izaya.<br>"Rose Bride, Masaomi isn't a duelist. He cannot take part in this."  
>"He is recognized by End of the World as qualified. The ring is the evidence."<br>"And that's that!"  
>Mikado spun around as if one does upon waking up to a nightmare that is in fact reality.<br>"Masaomi, why are you doing this?"  
>Kida's ever present smile cooled and disappeared.<br>"I could ask you the same thing. Say, Mikado…I also have things that I want to achieve. I bet you never thought of that. Whoever gains that smoking hot girl there gets to change the world."  
>"But-"<br>"I must ask all non-dueling people to please leave the arena."  
>Izaya did not add a correction as to the status of his gender. Kida waved merrily. Namie had to drag Mikado away. Shizuo took a deep breath to steady himself and prepared. He suspected that this Kida was faster and could probably change direction mid-dash more easily. Shizuo had learnt this from Namie's duel.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

He was so intent on clashing blades and winning that he did not look at Izaya. Had he done so he might have been surprised to find Izaya following the unfolding duel with interest.  
>Kida attacked first since he wanted to have an idea about his opponent's skill level. Shizuo surprised him by lowering his centre of gravity and knocking out Kida's rose in one go.<br>"What do you know, this dueling business is harder than it seems. Guess I lost completely."  
>Shizuo did not wonder how Kida could be so nonplussed and smiley. Shizuo led Izaya out of the arena himself. Erika handed Shizuo the neatly folded fur jacket and made herself scarce.<br>Shizuo placed it on a bench.  
>"I won't tell you to take the jacket with you. I won't tell you to leave it behind either. I leave it entirely up to you, Izaya."<br>For the first time in a long time Orihara Izaya hesitated. Shizuo folded his arms to make sure he was not about to give Izaya any instruction whatsoever.  
>At length Izaya slipped into the comfortable jacket and pulled over the hood. Only then did Shizuo hold his arms around him. Izaya rested against his chest without a word.<br>"Let's just go home, Izaya."  
>Namie appeared on their path and instinctively Shizuo placed himself between her and Izaya, protectively.<br>"What do you want now?"  
>Namie tossed over her hair.<br>"I want to tell you something,"  
>"I don't care about these duels, I don't know how many times do I have to-"<br>"It's not about that. It's about Orihara there. During my time with him I analyzed his brainwaves and you do not need to glare at me, the procedure is non-intrusive. I wanted to see if there was any reaction at all to emotional stimuli. So I showed him pictures of everyone in the Student Council and there was no reaction. Then I showed him yours. And there was a reaction. A very minor one. Almost unnoticeable. But very much there."  
>Shizuo started.<br>"Why are you telling me this?"  
>Namie shrugged.<br>"Who knows? Perhaps I admire your protective ways."  
>"So you're on my side?"<br>"I'm on _my_ side."  
>And she had just showed the entire world that it was indeed so. Shizuo was still frowning in suspicion.<br>"As long as you don't get in the way we can be friends."  
>"Orihara, I decided not to demolish the greenhouse."<br>"Thank you, Yagiri-san."  
>Namie's smile was cryptic as she walked away. It was wonderful that Shizuo was willing to protect Izaya but she could not help wonder who would protect Shizuo from Izaya. Namie put her hands in her pockets and hurried her step. She too had someone to come home to.<br>"What was that all about?"  
>"I don't know, Shizuo-sama."<br>"Back to '-sama' again, huh…oh well. Let's take it a little at a time. It's a shame but we missed our show already. Wait here for a sec."  
>They had arrived home. Shizuo left Izaya at the threshold and stepped inside, reemerging almost immediately.<br>"Welcome back."  
>"I'm home."<br>Shizuo closed the door behind them.

The next day Shizuo decided to have a picnic style lunch. After all the drama he decided that they both needed to unwind. They placed a cloth towel under a tree in a grassy spot and Shizuo and Erika sat around the basket that Izaya produced.  
>"What will we be eating! I'm like, so excited."<br>"Izaya is sharing his favorite food with us."  
>Shizuo was committed to getting Izaya to develop a greater sense of personal identity without being forceful about it. Shizuo did not word it to himself in such terms, he simply thought that he needed to help Izaya feel better being whoever Izaya was.<br>"I wonder what that is."  
>Shizuo was curious as well.<br>"Ootoro. There is enough for Shizuo-sama and Erika-san to enjoy."  
>They both stared as Izaya arranged generous slabs of deep red fish meat.<br>"Wow, that looks like great sushi!"  
>Erika all but jumped up and down.<br>"Isn't this kind of sushi really expensive?"  
>"No worries, Izaya is an oujo-sama. I bet he has a noblewoman's laugher that he practices when there's no one around."<br>Izaya smiled neutrally enough.  
>"Ootoro is the fattiest part of the tuna. Do try some, Shizuo-sama."<br>"Thanks. I never ate this kind of fancy food before…"  
>Shizuo was a bit at a loss as how to eat. Izaya picked up a slab.<br>"Shizuo-sama, use your hands. Like this."


	14. Chapter 14

Izaya exemplified. Shizuo found himself unable to look away, his mind becoming foggy. He was startled by a loud voice.  
>"Ha! No <em>way<em>! You're a guy! Wow, but still, totally hot!"  
>Kida joined the party as if it was perfectly natural. Shizuo jumped to his feet immediately.<br>"You, you're that kid from before!"  
>Kida smiled, already sitting next to Erika.<br>"It's all cool. I lost fair and square so no hard feelings. Neh? But who'd know, I'd never in a million would have guessed it. The Rose Bride is a guy!"  
>Shizuo was not yet convinced.<br>"How much do you know about the duels?"  
>"Probably even less than you do. It just sounded like something cool."<br>Erika inspected Kida's ring by grabbing his hand.  
>"Ah, seeing Kida as a duelist was quite a shock! I don't think Mikado has recovered yet. But your ring is different."<br>"It's black. Cooler that way! I believe in being cool through and through."  
>Kida nodded sagely. Shizuo remained rather confused.<br>"Do you know him, Erika?"  
>"Everyone knows Kida."<br>"I wouldn't say I'm famous, ah what am I saying, of course I'm famous. I just can't help it. But where are my manners? Izaya's beauty must be dazzling me. I am Kida Masaomi, at your service."  
>Shizuo had the clear impression that this little spiel was not addressed to him and Kida confirmed it by bringing Izaya's hand to his lips and dropping a soft kiss.<br>"Don't do that. He's not a toy."  
>"I see. You're engaged to him at the moment. I suppose this means that these are engagement rings after all?"<br>"Shizuo-sama, do have more sushi."  
>Erika had been helping herself to liberal doses of tuna goodness and Shizuo needed the reminder. Kida was at his bubbliest.<br>"Whatever, let's just enjoy our youth and drop this talk about heavy stuff."  
>"You can eat with us if you think that way."<br>"But you better watch out, Shizuo! One of these days I may steal Izaya there from you. No duel, just my natural charm!"  
>Somehow Shizuo was not very worried about this. Kida chattered in a truly friendly manner and at one point stole Erika's beanie. Much foolish banter followed and Shizuo watched the crazy scene with a smile. It was strange how it was possible to become friends with former duel antagonists.<br>"Shizuo-sama, do you like wasabi? It is a bit spicy."  
>"Hmm…I don't know, I like sweet things better."<br>"Would you like me to make you chocolate bonbons?"  
>"Yeah, that would be nice."<br>Erika popped up between the two of them.  
>"I know, you guys can take some cooking and baking lessons!"<br>"I'm totally there as well!"  
>Shizuo was a bit confused.<br>"Lessons?"  
>"From the home economics department."<br>"But we're both guys…"  
>"So what? I'm a girl and I can duel. So is Namie and she even beat you!"<br>Kida's eyes widened comically.  
>"Tell me all about this!"<br>Shizuo moved with Izaya to another shaded area, leaving Erika and Kida to happily chat about the duels.  
>"I told them I didn't want to talk about that kind of stuff…I just want a normal school life. But this cooking thing might be fun."<br>Shizuo wondered if he would have considered such a thing before this insanity. Seeing Izaya in a red dress was not even to make him question gender roles but fighting on equal terms with girls had given him a certain new perception.

'Everyone knows Kida', Erika had said. It amounted to saying that no one knew Kida. Upon receiving a letter with strange instructions and a black rose crest ring he had assumed that it was a practical joke but the moment the ring proved to be a key he was convinced that there was something more to it. And whatever it was, it was full of darkness. His life confirmed it: the world was inhabited by shadows and all it took was a wrong step to be lost forever. Kida faced this with an almost perpetual smile that earned the popularity much needed to buffer a harsh reality.  
>As long as secrets remain just that – secret – life could go on without a hitch but he knew that all that was forever lost. The most immediate consequence to Kida's involvement in the duels was uncovering Mikado. But Kida had no plans of letting it remain that way. His agenda did not include Mikado at all. It saddened him but it could not be helped.<p> 


	15. Chapter 15

Whatever was inside the spinning castle it was something that Kida was in dire need of. To change his world and turn back time. Dreams of grand achievements left him indifferent as something that spoiled anything it came into contact and what he wanted seemed a first hand mundane and yet it might be as unreachable as spinning castles in the sky: peace of heart.

From a balcony Aoba smiled wickedly as the duels unfolded. A tie was as good as a loss. As for the newest duelist, this Kida, Aoba knew him to be a very close friend of Mikado's. So many strings to pull, so little time. Aoba was looking forward to the next Student Council meeting.

That night Shizuo realized how comfortable he was in the domestic environment created by living together with Izaya. As they prepared to go to bed he almost asked for Izaya's company but caught himself in time. As much as he wanted to sleep with Izaya by his side, it would make Shizuo feel exceedingly awkward, which was bad, and probably leave Izaya completely indifferent, which was worse.  
>"Izaya, what are you doing? Homework?"<br>"Yes, Shizuo-sama."  
>Izaya's neck arched beautifully as he bent over the notebook. The subdued lampshades made him very soft in almost palpable light.<br>"That's rare. You usually have it all done way before it's due."  
>"I am done. I had forgotten to add mistakes."<br>"Add mistakes…?"  
>"Yes. I would get a perfect score otherwise. And that would make people hate me."<br>Shizuo jumped to his feet.  
>"No way! Are you serious? That can't be. Don't add any mistakes. I mean it."<br>"Yes, Shizuo-sama. Shall we sleep now?"  
>"Yeah. Before it gets late."<br>Shizuo lied in bed, his eyes fastened above. Very much aware that Izaya was so close and yet unreachable.  
>"Say, is it true what Erika said? That your family runs this place."<br>"Yes. My family owns Orihara Academy."  
>"I see. Somehow, I never made the connection."<br>And that because Shizuo could not imagine Izaya having a family. Izaya seemed too disconnected, too detached, a lone rose blooming without any relation to anything else. And to Shizuo he was a rose weaned of thorns and unprotected. A few moments of silence as Shizuo ruminated a mystery.  
>"Do you have any family, Shizuo-sama?"<br>"Who, me? No, not anymore. My parents died when I was very little. I don't even remember them."  
>"That must have been very painful."<br>"I guess but I can't go on moping. Know what I mean?"  
>"Yes, Shizuo-sama."<br>Shizuo wanted to ask about Izaya's family but a family that allowed a member to be used as a prize for some weird agenda was not worth enquiring about. But he could not help trying to picture Izaya's parents or siblings.  
>"Goodnight, it's getting late."<br>"Goodnight, Shizuo-sama. Do sleep well."

Shizuo was fast asleep as Izaya silently glided out of the dorms and treaded equally without a sound to the greenhouse. His glasses flashed briefly in the cold moonlight. He let himself in with a key and took a deep breath of flowery air. Plants were interesting in their relation to humans: in the day they released oxygen but when darkness descended they expelled something like poison. Izaya took an elevator down. There were more roses that needed tending.  
>"I'm back."<br>"Welcome, Psyche."  
>More doors closing behind him.<p>

"Wow, full score! Izaya, it's amazing!"  
>Shizuo looked rather silly, his eyes very round as he stared at the 100% on the test.<br>"Megane characters are always smart! It never fails!"  
>Erika nodded in her wisdom.<br>"I knew you were smart, you'll have to tutor me now."  
>Izaya tilted his head very slightly.<br>"Tutor you, Shizuo-sama?"  
>"Please? I never did much studying before, my other school was a bit…bad. And this place is demanding. I'm afraid I'll fail and be kicked out."<br>Here was a divergence. Never had the Engaged asked for such a thing. And not in the shape of an order either.  
>"I will be glad to tutor you, Shizuo-sama, if you see me fit-"<br>"Alright! Thanks a bunch."  
>Shizuo grabbed Izaya's hands and let them go rather awkwardly. Kadota joined them and extended his hand at Izaya who shook it after a heartbeat of hesitation.<p> 


	16. Chapter 16

"Congratulations. I got 90%, you beat me. I think you're beyond my league and on par with the top aces of Orihara Academy."  
>"He means Namie and Mikage."<br>"And Mikado, I think."  
>"But he's been skipping class lately. Strange, it's not like him."<br>Shizuo shrugged. He did not fully grasp what Mikado's standing in the complicated dueling system was but he did not like being lied to and had a strong disdain for shady characters.

Aoba tossed a letter on the round white table.  
>"I'm sure you've received these as well. Apparently, End of the World does not like fixing duels so as of now Mikado is banned from the Student Council."<br>He could barely contain his gloating. Namie crossed a leg and threw a dart at board, hitting bull's eye and swishing close to Erika who was busy catching up on the latest June publication.  
>"I wonder what you'd do if End of the World ordered you to jump off the balcony."<br>Aoba chuckled. Namie could not do humor, clearly.  
>"We must take into account that there are new players in the arena. Apart from us there is the black ring duelist and the current Engaged."<br>"Neh, if Namie-san beat Shizuo, and Shizuo beat Aoba-san, doesn't that mean Namie-san can beat Aoba-san?"  
>It was Namie's turn to chuckle. Aoba's dart struck the inner circle.<br>"Now is not the time to be fighting among ourselves. It is in our best interest to act for a common goal."  
>"Don't get too cooperation happy or you may end up suspended as well."<br>"I am not proposing anything that pedestrian. But we should make sure that one of us wins over the Rose Bride to the Student Council. Once that is accomplished we can fight it out."  
>"And you assume you'll win."<br>"But if Namie-san defeated Shizuo then I don't see what Aoba-san can do. Namie-san has upgraded and is at least on super Seiyan level now."  
>Aoba knitted his brows. He could not even begin to understand Erika's random tangents.<br>"Our numbers are dwindling so we must take a stand."  
>Namie smiled coldly.<br>"As if you aren't jumping for joy inside. You hate Mikado."  
>"So do you."<br>"And that's the only thing we have in common. It's hardly enough to make us friends. Besides, I heard that Shinra is supposed to be coming back soon."  
>Both had realized that it might only matter to own the Rose Bride when the timing was right.<br>"Say, who or what is this End of the World character? Is he like the Wiseman in Sailormoon R? Or Casshern? Maybe a collective penname for the entire cast of X."  
>"No one knows."<br>Namie lifted an eyebrow.  
>"Do you really believe that?"<br>"Of course. What, do _you_ know who he is?"  
>Erika turned another page.<br>"Why does it have to be a 'he', anyway?"  
>Namie drummed her manicured fingers on the table.<br>"I have no idea. But I suspect that someone does know."  
>"Like who? The new guys?"<br>"Orihara Izaya."  
>Aoba rolled his eyes. He expected at least some intelligence from Namie.<br>"The Rose Bride doesn't know a thing. I've asked him many a time."  
>"And he said 'who knows?'"<br>"Precisely. And it's his duty to obey the Engaged."  
>Namie and Erika exchanged one quick glance. Had Aoba been paying attention he would not have failed to catch it but he was too busy shooting down anything Namie had to offer, his ego demanded it of him. What both girls had realized instinctively was not so much that Izaya could very well lie – it had occurred to them more than once – but that Aoba was oblivious to such a possibility.<br>"I think he looks pretty in a red dress. He's just missing Kyubei."  
>It crossed Erika's mind that the analogy was off. Perhaps Izaya was Kyubei, in his own way, full of half truths and yet so very cute. So cute and harmless.<p>

Shizuo expected that himself and Izaya would be the only two boys attending cooking classes (and in his mind he could not help but feel that it was as if Shizuo was the only male, Izaya's gender identity being so absurdly neutral. Not necessarily girlish but blank) so he was very surprised at realizing that the blonde duelist had enrolled as well.  
>"It's a great chick magnet! Girls really dig guys that can cook."<br>Kida already had a yellow apron one. He winked at Shizuo as Izaya put on a pink apron.  
>"Ah…didn't know that."<br>"Shizuo, do you have a girlfriend?"


	17. Chapter 17

The question embarrassed Shizuo more than it should. Mostly because he did not know how to answer and was suddenly afraid of hurting Izaya's feelings. But Izaya was quietly arranging the cooking utensils on a counter. Shizuo did not know whether to be relieved or disappointed.  
>"Oh, no."<br>"Want some pointers? I am full of tips."  
>Shizuo's embarrassment was cut short as class began. He was not exactly a natural and ended up slicing right through the board cutting vegetables. In the end he was rather depressed.<br>"It's a lot harder than I thought, this cooking thing."  
>Aoba waltzed by.<br>"Well, hello."  
>Shizuo was immediately on the defensive.<br>"Kuronuma-san, I prepared something. Will you be so kind as try it?"  
>"Of course."<br>Shizuo was rather hurt despite himself but soon enough Aoba was coughing, tears running down his cheeks.  
>"You witch! What the hell is this?"<br>"It is my special wasabi ball surprise."  
>Kida giggled as Aoba attacked the water faucet to quench his burning throat. Aoba decided to leave, an angry glare on his wake.<br>"Izaya, just what exactly is that thing?"  
>Izaya's smile was blamelessly sweet.<br>"It is a surprise, Shizuo-sama."

Sonohara Anri was glad to have Izaya in her class. In the pecking order Izaya was even below her and that meant that she was safe from the vicious attacks of bullies. It was so until something changed. All of a sudden the new student became Izaya's bodyguard and no one dared as much as look at him the wrong way. And so it came to be, that she was again dead centre in the target for cowardly anger. But much worse then that was the feeling of her own unreality. It had never been absent but she could feel it developing in the opposite way a photograph did. Instead of the image gaining definition it lost it and became vague until it faded altogether.  
>Anri went through the days unsure of whether she existed. Even when she was acknowledged she could not quite shake the pervading fear of becoming invisible. She was running such thoughts through her mind when she received a letter. Something about a grand prize for the winner of a duel. Anri could feel an inner switch flipping. It flooded the landscape of her heart with strong light. The prize did not matter but dueling was a solid proof of her existence. It was putting it on the line and the only way of reclaiming it.<br>Anri was rather indifferent as she slipped on the black rose crested ring but she did feel a chill run down her spine as she picked up a wooden sword. Forget about revolutions, she had her own demons to slay.

That evening Shizuo and Izaya had chili for dinner, courtesy of Izaya's cooking skill.  
>"Wow, this is real good."<br>"Thank you, Shizuo-sama."  
>"No wasabi, huh."<br>Izaya's smile was very thin but gracious.  
>"I prepared chocolate mousse for dessert."<br>"Cool. You're a great cook, huh."  
>Shizuo devoured everything in sight.<br>"Ah, I'm full. Izaya, can you explain this part? I didn't really get it. I'm so bad at math."  
>Shizuo was almost bashful as he produced a book and leafed through it.<br>"This equation, Shizuo-sama?"  
>"Yeah…the teacher talks to fast, and I didn't have the heart to ask. Cuz it'd make me look stupid, you know?"<br>Izaya actually blinked and immediately arranged his glasses.  
>"Perhaps it helps to think of it as a puzzle. You need to find the missing pieces 'x' and 'y'."<br>Shizuo peered into the book alongside him, elbows almost touching.  
>"A puzzle? As in, something fun?"<br>"Yes, Shizuo-sama. For example, 'x+3=5'. What value does 'x' have?"  
>"Hmm…2?"<br>"Yes, Shizuo-sama. This is the basic process."  
>"Man, when you put it like that I feel like I can totally figure it out. But then I see these long lines of numbers, and parenthesis and letters and my head starts hurting."<br>Izaya's smile became limpid and almost translucid.  
>"You need only solve everything bit by bit."<br>"Yeah, that's good. Thinking ahead is not my thing. Say, have you been adding mistakes all the time?"  
>"Yes, Shizuo-sama."<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

"You really got to stop that. I mean it. I have mad respect for smart people and you're very smart. Everybody knows that Namie and the other guys are smart but I want you to let others knows that you're right there with them."  
>Izaya bowed respectfully but kept a guarded silence. Once the lights were off and they were lying on their beds Shizuo felt that he could speak up his mind even on touchy subjects.<br>"Izaya…you know the whole thing with the sword?"  
>"Do you mean the sword of Dios?"<br>"The one that's inside you, somehow. It has a name?"  
>"It does, Shizuo-sama."<br>"Anyway…I was wondering, does it hurt? I mean, pulling out."  
>Shizuo could not understand why he felt that this was a rather embarrassing subject but he blushed in the darkness.<br>"That does not hurt."  
>"Oh, I'm glad. Cuz if it did I'd use a normal sword. It doesn't even seem to affect the outcome of the duels…even though it is a special sword."<br>"Perhaps it depends on how well a duelist can wield it."  
>Shizuo thought about it. He was always too focused on the duel ahead to think about how strange it was to remove a sword from a living person. And he did not notice any change in terms of power between this sword of Dios and a regular one.<br>"Yeah…I'm glad that it doesn't hurt. I mean, if it did it'd suck and I wouldn't be able to use that fancy sword."  
>Izaya found this curious and perhaps even quaint.<br>"Is that so, Shizuo-sama?"  
>"I don't want to hurt you. It's not that kind of person."<br>"I see."  
>Izaya's voice was keyed at its most neutral. Shizuo hesitated slightly.<br>"How does it feel, then? I mean, if it doesn't hurt, how does it feel exactly?"  
>"It does not cause any sensation. How about you, Shizuo-sama? How does it feel to remove the sword of Dios?"<br>"Hmm…I'm not sure."  
>"I see."<br>Shizuo felt somewhat uncomfortable. He had the feeling that somehow he should have an answer. But he gave up.  
>"We better sleep now. Goodnight."<br>"Goodnight, Shizuo-sama."

When Shizuo spotted a summons to the arena after school he was not even surprised. By now he was ready to take on a duel whenever one came. It kept him on edge and prepared.  
>['Mirror mirror, tell me please: who is the prettiest in this fair land?']<br>['It is important to be beautiful.']  
>['Mirror mirror, tell me please: will I marry a dashing prince?']<br>['It is important to believe in yourself.']  
>['Mirror mirror, I am going blind, Blind I tell you!']<br>"That's not a mirror, that's wall."  
>[Then, who is the person I've been seeing all this time?']<br>"No clue."

Shizuo stepped on the arena and found a girl who might have borrowed Izaya's glasses for not the fact he was still wearing them.  
>"I don't suppose I can convince you not to fight?"<br>"No."  
>Shizuo sighed but promptly produced the sword of Dios from Izaya's chest. And barely dodged a sudden attack from above as Anri leapt into the air with ease. Shizuo rolled, hurting his shoulder and getting on his feet just in time to block Anri's blade. Before Shizuo could use the extreme difference in physical source to shove her Anri skipped beyond his range and was on her guard immediately.<br>Shizuo tried to read this new opponent but he could not even see her as she dashed forward to cross blades with him. Metal clashed too rapidly for him to even see anything other than a blur.  
>"If I get that sword I can be anything."<br>"It's the sword you're after? What kind of reason is that?"  
>Anri did not bother with a reply but she sliced Shizuo across the chest and he only escaped defeat by throwing himself backwards. Which messed up his balance. He saw her sword descending on him.<br>"Shizuo-sama, here."  
>Somehow Izaya was right there and prickling his finger on the tip of the sword of Dios. A few droplets of blood. Shizuo gathered himself and finished it off with one swift attack. Anri did not seem to even care that her black rose was lying in shredded petals all around.<br>"A sword that is inside a person's heart. That is what I need."  
>And with this she was gone.<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

"Man, that really hurt!"  
>Izaya was bandaging Shizuo's bruised shoulder. His gestures were soft.<br>"Do stay still, Shizuo-sama."  
>Shizuo winced at the pain.<br>"Hey, your finger…is it okay?"  
>"It is fine."<br>Shizuo did not seem to be convinced and took it to himself to study Izaya's hand closely.  
>"Wow, no cut. I guess it really is a magical sword. Is that why the girl wanted it so much?"<br>"Who can tell such things, Shizuo-sama."  
>"And she was gone just like that. Weird."<br>"All done. Would you like me to run you a bath?"  
>"Thanks."<br>"Just make sure not to wet your bandaged shoulder."  
>Shizuo soaked into the hot water, making sure to follow Izaya's advice. He took the opportunity for unwinding and relaxing. In all the craziness that spun around him Izaya was something of a reference amidst the chaos.<p>

Erika gloated merrily.  
>"And a new challenger appears! The busty <em>megane<em> type."  
>"No talk about the duels, I mean it."<br>"I understand, Shizuo. Reading you loud and clear. More importantly, what will we do for the upcoming school festival?"  
>Shizuo took an eggroll.<br>"School festival?"  
>"Don't tell me you didn't know! It's a tradition. The Spring Rose festival. There's a ball, prizes and each class has to do something for the event. I am rooting for Host Club this year!"<br>Izaya smiled quietly.  
>"Erika-san, what exactly is a host club?"<br>"I thought you guys weren't going to ask. A host club is the coolest thing ever. Cute boys entertain girls in a refined environment. And we may not have Tamaki or Haruhi but we don't even need it to pull it off marvelously!"  
>Shizuo shifted on his seat.<br>"I don't like the sound of that."  
>"What did your school do for festivals, Shizuo-sama?"<br>"There weren't any…delinquent schools don't have that kind of thing."  
>"They totally have their charm, though! Like, Beelzebub and Aoi Haru."<br>"Not in real life they don't."  
>"Have a shrimp, Shizuo-sama."<br>"Thanks. So, what will our class be doing?"  
>"We don't know yet. But I hope it's fab!"<br>"'Fab'…?"  
>"She means 'fabulous'."<br>"With some luck I'll be writing the play! It needs to be approved by the Student Council but of course, there is already one vote cashed in. My own."  
>Izaya clapped and looked impressed, his eyes widening behind his glasses.<br>"How intelligent of you, Erika-san."  
>"Why, thank you."<br>Shizuo frowned.  
>"Isn't there something kinda wrong with that?"<br>"Something as a 'conflict of interest', Shizuo-sama?"  
>"Dunno…I guess? What is that exactly?"<br>Erika was happy to explain.  
>"It is when the deciding faction is also involved in the dispute in question and has something to profit by it. Think of a trial, suppose that the judge is also the accused. Without a doubt the judge would acquit himself. Same thing here."<br>"Technically speaking it is a breach in the identity of the judge; by his not being a third independent party but biased by default."  
>Shizuo blinked rapidly.<br>"I'm totally out of my league here. But I get it that it's dishonest."  
>Erika rubbed her hands and smiled.<br>"Maybe but that's the way the world works. The world's not fair."  
>Shizuo's frowned deepened.<br>"Yeah but that's kind of an excuse. Saying stuff like 'the world isn't fair' is a way of saying that you're not willing to actually try to make it change…that's how I see it."  
>"Ah. Well, that can be your revolution, then. Justice."<br>"That sounds too much. To put it like that. But don't you think justice is a good thing?"  
>Izaya adjusted his glasses. Sunlight bounced from the lenses with a sharp glow. He wondered how long it would be until things shattered for Shizuo. Izaya thought about it calmly as he refilled Shizuo's glass with tea from a thermos that Izaya himself had prepared. The poison of words was made deadly by innocence.<p>

Shinra had been away from Orihara Academy for reasons that he did not share with any of his colleagues. And he was now back. He paid the dutiful visit to the Student Council and was not surprised to find Aoba without the Rose Bride and apparently just idling about.  
>"So you're back?"<br>"I expected a warmer welcome."  
>Shinra's smile completely denied it.<br>"Things have changed a bit while you were gone."  
>"So, who stole Orihara from you? Mikado?"<br>"No."  
>"Namie, then."<br>"Wrong again."  
>"Erika…?"<br>"Heiwajima Shizuo."


	20. Chapter 20

Shinra was at something of a loss.  
>"And who is that?"<br>"If you want to get ahead in this game of ours then I advise you to find out. Checkmate."  
>Aoba moved his dark king across the chess board.<br>"You can't really lose if you play against yourself, Aoba."  
>Aoba twirled the piece between his fingers, holding it against the wide expanse of blue sky. He looked almost noble.<br>"I wonder about that."  
>"You can't really lose either."<br>"Now that I can't agree with."  
>There was something more to Aoba's words but Shinra was not in the mood for exploring it at the moment.<br>"A new duelist, fancy that."  
>Aoba tossed his queen in the air and caught in mid-air.<br>"More than one, actually. A whole new faction."  
>Shinra's eyebrows arched over the frames of his glasses. He stared at the campus from the vantage point of the high balcony. It looked precisely as it did when he had left it. Even the forest camouflaging the arena was the same.<br>"Changes, huh. That may be just what we all need."  
>"What is that supposed to mean?"<br>"Oh, nothing much."

The stars wheeled their silent way above them and shone coldly through the see through roof.  
>"Psyche, it's your turn to play."<br>"Does it matter? Since it's a stalemate."  
>"Not quite. The cogs are turning now."<br>"Yes."  
>"Such a beautiful night. Come here."<br>Izaya placed his glasses on the nearby table and moved forward. The lenses caught a glimmer of light before darkness descended. Sealing him in.

Shinra took a tour of the campus. The conversation with Aoba resounded in his awareness but all he could see was precisely the same Orihara Academy he had left. For those who never left the confines of the school the lack of change might seem too normal to even register or it could be that they became immune to accumulative change if it happened by subtle enough degrees. But Shinra was in a different position, his perspective was perhaps broader and surely more comprehensive.  
>All around preparations for the Spring Rose Festival unfolded in a bustle of activity. Shinra watched these, nodding and smiling at a few students who greeted him. He decided to visit this Heiwajima Shizuo.<br>It was very easy to find him. Shinra needed only to ask and sure enough he was shown to Shizuo's dorm. He waited for a couple of minutes and sure enough a someone Shinra was not familiar with arrived with Orihara on tow. Of all elements that were so changeless the Rose Bride seemed to be the one that exemplified immutability so Shinra was very curious to see if Aoba's theory also applied to Orihara Izaya.  
>"Shizuo-kun, I believe?"<br>"Yeah. Not again, not one of _those_."  
>Shizuo sighed as he spotted the ring on Shinra's finger. Erika came bouncing off a corner and jumped into the scene.<br>"Shinra, you're back! Great! You'll vote for my script, right? Right? You totally must!"  
>"I haven't even read any of the scripts yet. Hello, I'm Kishitani Shinra. Nice to meet you."<br>Shizuo looked him up and down before taking and shaking his hand. Shinra could tell just by the grip that Shizuo could crush his hand and he noticed how Shizuo stepped so as to block Orihara.  
>"Welcome back, Shinra-san."<br>"No worries, Shizuo. Shinra is cool. A bit kooky but cool."  
>"If you say so."<p>

The revolution that Shinra sought was not for his own sake. It just so happened that the girl he loved was bent on getting something back and while he did not believe she needed it at all, he was willing to go the extra mile. With some luck she would come to see how right he was. Either way Shinra wanted to soothe her constant stress and if that meant having to fight a few duels and snatch Orihara Izaya then he could do just that. But as some of the other duelists were beginning to realize, there was such a thing as timing to take into consideration. So he was going to make sure he played his cards right.  
>Shinra's role in the Student Council allowed him to have a whole apartment for himself and for his girlfriend.<br>"Celty, what do you think about this place? Pretty neat, isn't it?"  
>"Are you sure about this? I mean-"<br>"No problems. It'll be fine."  
>Shinra would make sure that it was so.<p> 


	21. Chapter 21

Erika was disappointed that her script was not picked but whatever powers there were decided to go with a strange shadow play. Shizuo was just too confused by the whole thing but somehow he could not take his eyes off the stage.  
>A shadow disc spun. Two shadow figures stood on it. The effect was very strange, the motion highlighted their bi-dimensional bodies.<br>"Revolving, revolving, revolving."  
>"We revolve around and around."<br>"It's a revolution."  
>"But is it really?"<br>"The more things change-"  
>"-the more they stay the same."<br>"Revolving, revolving, revolving."  
>"But you see, we are still revolving around the same axis."<br>The scene changed to a shadow princess crying between two coffins.  
>"A long time ago there lived a princess who was very sad because her parents had died."<br>"'There is nothing eternal.', she thought to herself and hid inside a coffin herself."  
>"But then a prince appeared. Riding a white horse and full of courage."<br>A shadow prince slid into the scene.  
>"He said, 'Why are you crying with such sorrow? Take this token of our encounter and use it to find me when you grow up. Never abandon your pride and beauty no matter what may happen."<br>The shadow prince handed her a shadow ring.  
>"So impressed was the girl with the prince that she decided to become a prince herself to save others."<br>"But was that a good idea?"  
>"More importantly, did the girl really leave the coffin?"<br>"I wonder."  
>"I wonder."<br>The shadow disc resolved itself into the shape of a coffin.

"That didn't make sense...as in, any sense _at all_."  
>Shizuo was so baffled that he had to vent. To his great surprise he found everyone, which was to say every duelist, deep in thought as if the play had some secret meaning to them. It made him feel very uncomfortable. Up to this point he had assumed that these people for all their weird tastes in trippy duels were essentially normal down deep. But he now had his doubts.<br>"Do you think so, Shizuo-sama?"  
>"Yeah. I mean, what was it all about? Shadows and...shadows and spinning stuff. And such strange talk. Oh well, doesn't matter I guess."<br>He shrugged it off and tried not to think too much about it. Shizuo had a policy, although he would never put it in such terms unless under duress, to shove out of his mind whatever could not exactly be assimilated.  
>"Onii-sama, I did not know that you were here."<br>Shizuo halted on his tracks at this. And then noticed the spitting image of Izaya minus the glasses, smiling openly and ruffling Izaya's hair.  
>"Onii-sama...? Twins? Wait- what?"<br>"How rude of me, I haven't introduced myself. I am Izaya's older brother. Not much older, though but of course I cannot help but think of him as my kid brother. I'm Orihara Hibiya."  
>Shizuo was still too stunned to know how to properly react but he shook the hand offered to him and felt his awkwardness increase tenfold.<br>"Oh, sorry. Izaya never said anything about a brother so I was just real surprised. I'm Heiwajima Shizuo."  
>"Izaya has told me all about you. Thank you for taking care of him all the time."<br>This annoyed Shizuo considerably but he could not quite pin down why exactly.  
>"No problem. He's my friend. I mean, we're friends so of course I'd look out for him."<br>Hibiya smiled apologetically.  
>"I am afraid that I have been so busy with school matters as of late that I hardly have any time to be with Izaya. I'm the vice-chairman."<br>"Yeah but family should come first."  
>"Yes, indeed. Indeed."<br>Izaya took a step forward so as to stand next to Hibiya.  
>"Onii-sama has been working very hard for me."<br>Hibiya looked most pleased.  
>"Why don't we all have a drink together?"<br>They settled for a small café on campus and Hibiya ordered rose tea for himself and Izaya. Only now that the first shock was over that Shizuo began to discern Hibiya as more than a mirror come to life. And what he realized right away, as soon as he began to actually pay attention, was how smooth and mature this new character was. From the way he picked the delicate cup to the way he laughed in just the right way. Shizuo remembered some of the top dogs at his former school. Sleek fellows who manipulated others at will and would have the most interesting conversation about art before and after kicking in your teeth.


	22. Chapter 22

The impression passed as soon as it came to him and fascination settled instead.  
>Hibiya had a kind of quiet charm and self-possession that made him come across as much older. It impressed Shizuo.<br>"Shizuo-kun, I have been working with the school board to arrange for Izaya to move in with me. Everything is finally ready. But I don't want to disturb his school life. Would you like to remain his roommate? The residence is very large and you would have all the privacy in the world. Just knowing that Izaya is in the same building would make me happier."  
>Shizuo did not know what to make of this but he could not turn it down.<br>"Oh, sure. Izaya should be with his family and it'd be great if I could still be with him. I'm new in this school but I already see Izaya as a good friend."  
>Hibiya gave him a warm smile and poured Izaya another cup of tea. The smell of roses in bloom was in the air.<br>"That is something I want for Izaya. To have true friends. I can give him all the support as an older brother but friends are so important, especially at Izaya's age."  
>Shizuo had half forgotten that Izaya and Hibiya were the same age. It was at this point that he realized he could never mention anything about the duels to Izaya's brother. Why it was so Shizuo could not possibly explain but something told him that it would disrupt the family harmony and that was the last thing he wanted.<br>"Izaya is making more friends."  
>"I am very glad to hear that. Shizuo-kun what did you think of the play?"<br>"Didn't make sense to me. Just weird...stuff. I mean, it could mean anything...or nothing..."  
>Hibiya lifted his cup gracefully. Shizuo expected him to wear a uniform of sorts given his position but the dark purple shirt and white tie were a perfect fit. A combination of style and authority.<br>"I think that it is the mark of true art. That it can mean so many different things to different people. It makes the work of art open to interpretation and ever evolving. At the same time it makes art alive in each person."  
>Shizuo felt like a little kid but he was proud that Hibiya even bothered talking to him as if he was a peer of sorts.<p>

"Izaya, how come you never told me you had a brother?"  
>They were walking back to the dorms. Their new home would be the strange tower Shizuo kept seeing. Shizuo walked a few steps ahead and Izaya followed at a respectful distance.<br>"You didn't ask, Shizuo-sama. I told you about that my family ran Orihara Academy."  
>"Yeah but you didn't say it was your brother doing it...I kinda assumed it was some uncle or something like that. I mean, it's a bit weird since he's so young..."<br>"Onii-sama is very clever. And there are students involved in important positions. Mikage-san runs his own seminary."  
>"Eh...I guess there's that. I don't think I ever saw this Mikage but Erika said something about him and other people too. Oh well, I just hope there's an elevator at that tower. I'm getting tired of climbing endless flights of stairs."<br>"No need to worry, Shizuo-sama. There is an elevator."  
>Shizuo sighed in relief.<br>"Thank god for that."

Around the same time Kida stopped in front of Mikado's. He almost knocked but at the last moment spun on his heels and left in a hurry. He almost ran into Anri who halted at almost the same spot and almost knocked as well before changing her mind and leaving. And so it comes to be that a collection of 'almost' amounted to fate. Or so Aoba thought as he watched from the scene unfold.  
>He did knock but without expecting to be admitted.<br>"I know that you can hear me so I'll just say what I have to say. You're free to stay huddled in your own misery, it'll probably be better for me if you did just that. But I'm sure you've been wondering about it as well, what is the qualification of a duelist. Why do we have these rings, what is the common thread. I think I found it out. It's desire. Wanting something with all your might. If _you_ want something then get your ass out of there and fight. You might find out what I still don't know: what qualification do these black ring duelists possess."  
>Aoba did not wait to see what effect his words had and silently slipped away.<p> 


	23. Chapter 23

Saki picked up her step with a thrill of anticipation. She hurried to the greenhouse. It might seem silly to look forward to watering roses but she had more important interests vested in this enterprise. Saki had just returned to Orihara Academy after a term of hiatus at a hospital. White corridors without the rose themed monomania. She did not expect to miss it so much but once deprived she kept thinking about it.  
>As she stepped into the familiar campus she felt more at home at Orihara than ever and very eager to reconnect with everything. Especially with a certain Orihara Izaya.<br>She gathered herself at the door before tapping at the glass softly. As she expected he was here tending the flowers. Saki was reminded anew of just how beautiful he was. Izaya had an aura of grace to him that was almost feminine. And amidst the roses Izaya was very much a rose himself.  
>"Saki-san, hello. Is your health better?"<br>It was perhaps a strange way of phrasing it but she was not disappointed.  
>"The doctors released me already. All I have to do is exercise mildly to fully recover."<br>"I'm glad to hear that."  
>Saki sprinkled water on a bush of white roses. The silence was only disturbed by the silvery chirp of birds. It was a comforting routine that Saki had come to love. She never spoke much and Izaya seemed content to simply go about his gardening without too many words. It created a kind of peace that she had longed for throughout her hospital stay. A soothing peace.<br>"Hey, Izaya, want to grab a sundae or something- oh, hi there."  
>Saki smiled at a tall blonde stranger even as she wished he would simply disappear.<br>"If you like, Shizuo-sama."  
>"Hi, I'm Heiwajima Shizuo. Are you a friend of Izaya's?"<br>"Yes. Nice to meet you. I'm Saki."  
>Shizuo beamed.<br>"I knew you had friends, Izaya! That's great."  
>"Yes, Shizuo-sama."<br>"We're going to the café, why don't you join us?"  
>Saki hesitated briefly before agreeing.<p>

"How come I never saw you around before?"  
>"I was sick for a while so I couldn't attend classes."<br>"That's too bad but you look fine now. But isn't this great? Your friend is back!"  
>"Yes, Shizuo-sama."<br>"Izaya is a bit shy, you know? But don't worry, I totally support his having friends. You can find him at the greenhouse more often than not."  
>Saki was very quiet and sipped some insipid drink with a smile keyed to neutral. She decided that she did not like this Shizuo almost immediately and each moment added to that first impression. By the time she bowed goodbye and waved amicably enough she knew what it was that bothered her about him. This Shizuo was taking up Izaya's time, which was bad, and living with him, which was worse, as well as apparently calling shots on what Izaya could do. And this was the worst of all.<br>Izaya should always be alone if not for her. Not that Saki believed that she had some kind of special understanding into his character, on the contrary. It was because she expected a monopoly when Izaya was concerned. In return she was ready to limit her emotional life to Izaya alone. The trade was viable and it was a core belief of hers that her willingness to feel fully satisfied just by having Izaya to herself gave her legitimate rights to claim him as hers.  
>She walked very slowly. Kida spotted her and grew a shade paler, hurried past her lest she saw him. Saki would not have noticed Kida even if he walked right up to her. She had other things on her mind and they blocked out the here and now.<br>As if by magic there was an invitation to something called the Mikage seminar waiting for her at her dorm room. As if by magic because she did not know how it got there and because she felt instinctively that here was the answer to her prayers.

"Izaya, why didn't you tell me that you had a friend?"  
>"Saki-san sees herself as my friend, Shizuo-sama."<br>Shizuo did not catch the implication that Izaya was not Saki's friend.  
>"Anyway, this is great. She is so sweet and nice."<br>"Yes, Shizuo-sama."  
>"No wonder she likes roses so much. I hope her health has really improved...do you know what was wrong with her?"<br>"I can hardly say, Shizuo-sama."  
>Shizuo frowned. There were times when the litany of '-sama' got on his nerves.<p> 


	24. Chapter 24

If someone were to ask Mikage Souji what humans were, he would give a neutral definition of the phylogenic kind. Very much in the same terms as Yagiri Namie would answer, in fact. But if he were to voice his true opinion on the subject, Mikage would say that humans are akin to perpetual motion machines. Of course, that human beings were not ultimately eternal he very well knew, eternity was too valuable to be given out indiscriminately to the entire species, but it was an accurate simile.  
>After all, humans were such creatures that if a certain stimulus was applied, a corresponding effect was to be expected. The predictability rendered his research science even as it branched into what others might consider metaphysical meanderings. Mikage kept a low profile and dealt from the shadows. Which was not to say that he was confined to a shadowy realm but that he acted through stealth to reach into the light. His camouflage did not limit his range of action, it actually increased it.<br>Presently he was going through a set of figures. The computer monitor's light cast a mellow glow that softened his expression. The pink shoulder length hair and matching pink eyes gave him an aura of gender ambiguity but behind pretty pink there was disciplined coldness and a relentlessness of purpose.  
>Mikage Souji had a goal in mind, one which he was profoundly passionate about, all the more reason to focus and avoid unnecessary or dangerous exposition about it. In a case of great irony, a man who guarded his true motivations closely had developed a perfect method for eliciting the most intimate of confessions from others.<br>He did not see his test subjects as victims. Mikage did not create issues in these people to explore to his advantage, he explored already latent potential and helped it develop. The seeds to his black roses were by default ingrained in people and he merely made them bloom. He extended invitations that were willingly accepted.  
>Mikage viewed it as a methodical deconstruction of the psyche. Consciousness was not outside the realm of his science. Cognitive tools. There was a procedure to all things. A few more clicks, Mikage studied a carefully detailed simulation that no one in the world could possibly understand other than Mikage Souji himself.<br>At some point he had begun to wonder if watching an experiment did not have an effect on it. Mikage could not quite place when this curious idea had intruded on his reflections, so it must have been a gradual phenomenon. If the process of watching in itself already changed the parameters then the scientific method in itself was compromised. An awkward situation.  
>Mikage solved the conundrum by reasoning that such inconsistencies could be ironed out. His intellect discerned a pattern behind the great multiplicity of confusing elements.<br>"Mikage-kun, about that research paper, your assistance would be greatly appreciated"  
>He spared the teacher a diplomatic albeit thin smile.<br>"You need not to worry, it will be finished and submitted to the proper department ahead of schedule."  
>"I knew that I could count on you."<br>"In return I expect a contribution to the Mikage Seminar."  
>"Of course, of course…the next budget reunion will allocate more funds to the Seminar."<br>"I am glad that we understand each other."  
>Mikage had been doing teachers' papers for them for a while. It suited his need for power in the campus, mostly secret power, and was not even difficult. His status was that of a student but clearly equality was hardly a value at Orihara Academy. He understood that image should match his position and for that reason Mikage's uniform was a deep blue affair with red band around the collar. Almost military in aspect.<br>Mikage cared nothing for appearances himself, his was the business of reaching out for the essence of reality but there were sponsors to please and a certain decorum was maintained. In the end all converged to serve Mikage's long-sighted goal.  
>A knock on the door and a head poking into the room elicited a more genuine smile from Mikage.<br>"I did not know that you were back, Shinra-kun."  
>"I have my doubts, you keep tabs on everyone around Orihara Academy."<p> 


End file.
